Spring Carrier Cavity With Deflectable Retention Against Coil Entanglement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of devices that include springs is hindered by the entanglement and difficulty in retrieving and placing springs in manufacturing processes, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to errors and production pauses.
Innovation Solution
A spring carrier with an elongate hollow body and deflectable members that can move between unbiased and biased positions to securely retain and release coil springs, facilitating their insertion and extraction through an actuator-assisted mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If springs are stored or conveyed together in a bulk manner, then storage efficiency is improved, but spring entanglement occurs making retrieval difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The bulk spring storage is segmented into individual carrier units, each holding a single spring in a controlled cavity. This segmentation prevents entanglement while maintaining efficient storage, as each spring is isolated in its own carrier rather than bulk-stored together.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier acts as an intermediary between bulk storage and individual spring retrieval. Springs are first loaded into carriers in a controlled manner, then carriers are stored in bulk without entanglement, and finally springs are retrieved individually through the carrier mechanism, eliminating the time loss associated with separating entangled springs.
2Ease of operation
If a simple opening is provided in the hollow body, then spring insertion and extraction are easy, but spring retention and protection are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining member is made deflectable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust between blocking the opening (for retention) and allowing passage (for insertion/extraction). This dynamic behavior provides both reliable retention when needed and easy operation when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The state of the retaining member changes between two positions: blocked and open. This parameter change allows the system to switch between retention mode (reliable spring holding) and operation mode (easy insertion/extraction), resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
3Device complexity
If manual spring handling is used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but manufacturing productivity and accuracy decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is designed to be self-contained with an integrated retaining mechanism that automatically secures and releases springs. This self-service design eliminates the need for complex external handling equipment while maintaining high productivity, as the carrier itself performs the retention and release functions.
4Reliability
If multiple deflectable members are used to improve spring retention, then spring security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention function is segmented into multiple independent deflectable members rather than using a single complex mechanism. Each member independently contributes to spring retention, providing enhanced reliability through redundancy while keeping individual member complexity low.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The spring carrier enables efficient, reliable, and cost-effective handling of springs by ensuring accurate placement and retrieval, reducing manufacturing errors and production downtime.
Implementation Method 1
the deflectable member is movable between a first unbiased position, whereby the retaining portion extends into the inner cavity to retain the coil spring within the inner cavity, and a second biased position, whereby the retaining portion is disposed outwardly to allow the coil spring to be extracted from the inner cavity through the opening
Data Source
AI summary
A spring carrier for receiving, retaining, and discharging of a coil spring in a manufacturing assembly process includes an elongate hollow body defining an inner cavity to receive the coil spring and an opening at a first proximal end of the hollow body for the insertion of the coil spring into the inner cavity and extraction of the coil spring from the inner cavity. A deflectable member is located proximate to the first proximal end and includes a retaining portion that retains the coil spring when the coil spring is located within the inner cavity. The deflectable member is movable between a first unbiased position, where the retaining portion extends into the inner cavity to retain the coil spring within the inner cavity, and a second biased position, where the retaining portion is disposed outwardly to allow the coil spring to be extracted from the inner cavity through the opening.